MAGIC MIKE
US, 2012, 110 minutes. Colour.
Channing Tatum, Alex Pettifer, Matthew McConaghy?, Cody Hawn, Olivia Munn.
Directed by Stephen Soderberg.
Actually, magic is not the word that leaps to mind while watching this story of male strippers at a small club in Tampa, Florida, which is said to have been based on some events in the real life of the star, Channing Tatum. His gymnastic gyrations during some of his acts would support the claim.
However, unless you are an inveterate clubber (probably under thirty, or, maybe forty, by the look at some of the matrons who flock to the club), Magic Mike might seem more than a little tedious.
Of course, there are the acts which pepper the film throughout, tongue-in-cheek contrivances for shirts-off, pants-off performances and some lewd interactions with the clientele. Other than that, it is a more conventional story of a young man, turning thirty, who is tops at his game (well, at least in Tampa), works on construction sites and has an ambition and a skill in making furniture. Channing Tatum is quite convincing in his performance both on stage and in the more personal and humane sequences.
He finds a protégé (Alex Pettyfer who has not always been impressive up to now in films like I am Number Four and Beastly) who laps up the bright light life, seeing it as absolute freedom, meaning self-indulgence in drink, drugs and sex. Will he come to his senses? In the meantime, there are half a dozen other strippers whose lives we don’t really see much of and the boss, played with exuberant relish by Matthew McConnaughey?, who opens the film with his hedonistic philosophy of life and gets a lot of the lines explaining how the club works on the fans.
One of the drawbacks of the film is the picturing of the responses of the fans, squealing and screaming over and over again.
There is something of a moral anchor in the character of the young protégé’s sister, played by Cody Horn. She tries to look after her brother and casts a cold, rather judgmental eye over the performances and the responses. You know she is going to end up with our hero but that she will try to challenge him for the better.
Director Steven Soderbergh can make arthouse films, from Sex, Lies and Videotape to his two part, Che. He can also do commercial films like the Oceans trilogy and his recent martial arts thriller, Haywire. He can also do satisfying entertainments like the conman story, The Informant, or the health thriller, Contagion. Magic Mike is, maybe, another experiment or, now for something completely different.
A mixture of the earnest and the romantic with the lewd and the sleazy.
1. The work of Stephen Soderberg? The variety of his films and styles? His interest in this story?
2. The film based on Channing Tatum’s life and experience? The energy he brings to the film? The credibility of the plot?
3. The Florida settings, Tampa, building sites, bars, clubs? Ordinary homes? The beach and the sea? The blend of the surreal and the real?
4. The title, the focus on Channing Tatum as a stripper? His performance, from experience? The introduction, his work as a stripper, saving money, for his company and building furniture? His work of the building site? The discussions with the boss? With Adam and his false credentials? Mike’s own life, relationships, the opening with the two women? His encountering Adam, taking him to the club? Getting him the job? The performances? His taking it all very lightly? His relationship with the other strippers? The crisis, Adam going on? Adam and his training? Mike promising to look after him? The relationship with Brooke? His promises to her? Her coming to the club, leaving? The Fourth of July holiday, the boat ride and the beach? The serious discussions with Brooke? The money, trying to get a loan, to form his company, being turned down? The relationship with Joanna, calling her, her coming to the house, his meeting her fiancé? Her behavioural studies? The episode at the birthday party, Adam and his going downhill, the drugs, the fight? Rescuing him? Giving up on him? The standover drug dealers, Mike giving the money? His final discussions with Adam? With Brooke – and a future with her? The confrontation with Dallas, the plans for Miami, his walking out? The possibilities of a new life?
5. The contrast with Adam, his age, dropping out, the football scholarship? On the building site, false credentials? His relationship with his sister, his going out with her? Being bored at the meal, walking along the road, encountering Mike, the club, the jobs, his going out, stripping? Dallas endorsing him? The scenes of training him to dance, the provocation? His success, with the other men, his initial naivety and their having him on? His living what he thought was the good life, women, the drugs, his trying to deal? The blow-up at the party, his irresponsibility, not coming home? The confrontation with Mike, his promising to pay him back? Going with Dallas to Miami?
6. Dallas, the introduction, the rules at the club, the women as lawbreakers? His management of the team, ambitions for Miami? His personality? Friendship with Mike, the partnership? With Adam? Running the club, the plans, the Fourth of July party? The clash with Mike, Mike walking out? The final night, his own stripping, his future?
7. Brooke, medical assistant? Looking after Adam, sense of responsibility? The encounter with Mike, the puzzle, Adam and the clothes that he bought for the act, going to the club, her walking out? Hoping it was a joke? The Fourth of July, seriously talking to Mike, challenging him? Her being the moral focus of the film? Her telling Mike off, appreciating his generosity towards Adam, the finale?
8. Joanna, her being a groupie with the strippers? Her studies, relationship with Mike, her becoming a psychologist?
9. The men in the team, Tarzan, the drugs? Ken and his wife? The promiscuous background? The drug-taking? Their careers – but in a small-time operation?
10. The presentation of the women, their age, going to the clubs, continually squealing and screaming? The cast pandering to lewdness and sexual behaviour?
11. The perspective on the strippers – a dead-end job? Or breaking through – and the fact that Channing Tatum became a leading star?
